Yesterday I spent valentine’s day watching a stage series that I completely fell into last summer! While I was super pissed and skeptical of this installment of the stage - due to favourite characters (Amane, Misu, Shuuto’s) and actors NOT coming back (Tamaki, Nakamura, Shuuto, Hirose Daisuke, Naoya) this installment, and also some announcing that the next installment after this one would be their last (Amane/Takaki, Misu/Nakamura) - I went in with an open mind and was ready to accept whatever they were gunna send at me. And I did. Lets see how that went shall we?

Kaito Yuri has gone missing and it seems like he might have not only betrayed Sakura but also Mamoru. But Mamoru stays strong that Kaito isn't a bretrayer and that he's still alive, though many believe he's dead after 6 months with no contact from him have passed. Mamoru is sent on a solo Gradutaion (Sotsugyou) Mission to stop the AI hacker known as 'Necromancer' who had broken into Sakura's security system and caused havock. With the occassional help from Doctor Ten, Doctor Three, and the three new Sakura recruits, Mamoru embarks on his mission, alone.

NON-SPOILER:

Maybe it's because this was my first time seeing Messiah live the flesh but I felt there was a massive step up in production and everything in this stage! The most impressive thing was the choreography for the action. Holy moly, the stunts and the timing was amazing! Also I really enjoyed the projection mapping this time around and how they used it. As usual the music was amazing and also super nostalgic and hearing the bell when the stage began! I cried at the ending to this but for a different meaning than everyone else. I really, really enjoyed this which I didn't expect to and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment. The negatives I have is this story has two plots and one of the plots I absolutely loved and the other plot I absolutely hated and don't want to remember. The second negative is; I really don't like the three new recruits. They're like carbon copies of Messiah character's we've already met and they're boring and I don't really want to get to know them, which is unfortunate because the actors themselves are adorable!

Rating: I don't think I've rated the Messiah series at all up to now... but I'll put it at a safe 8/10 for now.

I even used two different email accounts in order to try and get tickets! I still didn't hit!

I tried Toujitsuken (on the day ticket) and DIDN'T HIT....

I followed FAN REPORTS every PERFORMANCE!!

THERE WERE 37 PERFORMANCES IN TOTAL THIS TIME!!

I EVENTUALLY HIT FOR THE LIVE VIEWING SENKOU!

SHIT SEAT

DID NOT MATTER!!!

BECAUSE IT WAS FOUR (YES FOUR!!!!) GLORIOUS FUCKING HOURS WHERE I LAUGHED AND CRIED!

AND NOT ONLY THAT!!!

AT THE END THEY FUCKING ANNOUNCED THEY'RE DOING A SECOND ONE IN JUNE AND JULY!!!!

MAKICHAN IS BACK!!!!! (more details later)

I AM IN SWORD HELL AND I DO NOT CARE!!!

I FUCKING LOVE TOUSTAGE!!!!!

Lets get onto the review now that I've calmed down....

Now I'm not gunna write everything out; we all know Toustage, we all know the story of it; we've all seen the first DVD multiple times. So I'm just going to write down everything that was different this time including the gungi scene, the curtain call etc. Ready?! Okay!

I had been eyeing this one since Konchuuger ended and I finally gave in and bought tickets for it last month. Once again, another MMJ production with a stella cast but felt like more people were toujitsuken-ing it than actual people who bought tickets previous to the stage starting and I don't know why because I have been left impressed two now. And you'll see why...

PreShow

I don't know what was going on but at about row 6 or 7 there seem to be like 2 or 3 manager looking people and some could-be-actors young guys and like a guy two rows behind them stood up and greeted them and shook hands and clearly some business deal or something was going on. So could've been scouters or managers taking their newbies to see a stage or something? Whatever it was, they were definitely people from the business. Was interesting to watch...

Oh and the flower outside the place were gorgeous! Normally I don't really pay attention to what the flowers look like but this time some REALLY caught my eye and I had to take pictures! The last flowers are my favourite <3

And once again I got super lucky(!): smack in the middle! How do I always manage to get this luck?! I guess it does run out (we all remember the ticket fails of June and July right?!) but yes I was super happy! But also made me super nervous at the end when all the lights were up and like yeah, in direct eye line for Someya!

Story

So it's about 6 best friends who have just turned twenty and it's set 20 years after the Meiji Era begins and the Edo Era ends. Our main guy (finds pamphlet), Nagase decides that it's time for him to find a job and so informs his friends that he's gunna join the police force and become a police man. His friends aren't sure at first but like best friends, and also the fact they have no idea what to do with their lives, they end up following him to Police Training Camp where we find there are three other groups: The Reds known as Satsuma group: The senpais of the group that have been there the longest and are rather aragont about their position in the camp and are very forward thinking about the Meiji era; The Blues known as The Shizuoka Group: came over from Shizukoka and therefore are still very old fashioned and have a strong dialect and are seen as the outsides because they're the only two not from Tokyo, and akso, in true Sugie style, they're a little camp (xD); and The Yellows known as Edo: the most traditional of the group; one follows the way of the samurai and the other, the way of the ninja. The 6 friends are Green as known as Wakasamagumi (meaning something like 'Young Masters Group') because of A. how young they are and B. how irresponsible they are.So we follow them as they go through their training which is interrupted when Nagase's childhood friend, and crush, Koizumi, is shot at twice and killed and the murder is pinned on Nagase, so now they try and find the real culprit.

The Cast

Irie Jingi as NagaseMiyazaki Karen as KoizumiKubota Hidetoshi as SoneyamaSomeya Toshiyuki as FukudaAkimoto Ryuutarou as HirataYasukawa Junpei (<3) as KoyamaSaeki Daichi as OonouKido Yuuya as MinagawaKamakari Kenta as TamaiOzeki Riku as SakumaWagou Shinichi as Osamu (?)Sugie Taishi as HimedaItakura Takeshi as KondouIwai Kenshirou as ToyaAoki Juna as KitaoNemoto Masakazu as NakamuraNakamura Seijirou as Ariba

And there is my accidentally MASSIVE review which took me like 4 hours to write over the course of 4 days xD

This review may seem a but more tame and longer and more professional compared to previous ones. I have something ticking away in my brain and I guess I'm unconciously and conciously working towards it to see if it's a possibility in the very near future. So yeah... vague I know xD

ANYWAYS, if you're still reading by this time and you read all that ^^^ then seriously give yourself a cookie! Cos it was a lot!! ^_^

Overall: Oh my this was so good! I was thoroughly impressed once again by a MMJ production and they're definitely going on my radar as a company to trsut and follow because this is the second time they've impressed me (they did Konchuuger). This play was SO funny, so hysterical, all the characters are unique and amazing and I wanted to be able to either see it a second time, and/or have 12 pairs of eyes so I could watch everyone! The props were unique too and I loved the dancers! I'm definitely gunna be buying this DVD, if I hopefully have money in October (that's when the preorder finishes).Rating: 9/10